GM Official: Natural Gas “Enticing” Alternative

John Davis

A top General Motors executive believes that natural gas could be a replacement for gasoline on U.S. roads in the near future.

This story from CNNMoney.com quotes GM’s top researcher who said that his company sees natural gas an “enticing” alternative to petroleum… and that means new interest in natural gas by the major American automaker:

“It is abundant, affordable and relatively clean,” Larry Burns, GM vice president of research and development, said in a posting on GM’s Fastlane blog.

The world’s auto makers are scrambling to find new, commercially viable alternatives to gasoline as the reality of $4-per-gallon gasoline wreaks havoc on the U.S. auto industry.

But while companies launch high-profile plans to shift toward battery power, hydrogen and ethanol, little has been said about natural gas. Natural gas is cleaner burning and about half as expensive as gasoline, but is also much harder to find and less efficient in terms of energy density.

“In the near term, we can use compressed natural gas in internal combustion engines,” Burns wrote. “In the long term, natural gas could be an excellent source for making hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles, either at the filling station or in people’s homes.”

This is not the first time GM has offered up ideas and practices to help wean us away from petroleum. The company has a large effort to attract drivers to their ethanol-powered vehicles, as well as development of the Chevrolet Volt, a battery-powered car, and vehicles that run on hydrogen.

Car Makers, Miscellaneous, Propane

New York Biodiesel Goes to Europe

John Davis

It wasn’t a huge amount, but it could be seen as an important first step for the biodiesel industry in New York.

This story from Reuters says an American biodiesel producer is sending the green fuel to a port in Europe… the first time biodiesel has gone from New York to our friends across the pond:

The 15,000 barrel cargo of biodiesel produced by Innovation Fuels in New York is bound for Rotterdam.

Europe has been a large market for biodiesel because of its large number of diesel-fueled cars EU mandates for alternative fuels. Traditionally U.S. supplies of biodiesel have been sent from the West Coast.

Innovation CEO John Fox said the company’s biodiesel is made from multiple feedstocks, including vegetable oils, oils from rendering and food processing facilities, and used restaurant grease.

U.S. biodiesel capacity has risen as the government offered incentives to help wean the country off foreign oil. But the industry has suffered as producers lost money on surging prices for soy oil, one of the industry’s main feedstocks.

Fox said Innovation’s margins are strong because its mix of feedstocks. “Our ability to process lower priced feedstocks helps us to make margins significantly above 20 cents per gallon,” he said.

The real significance of this shipment might be the fact that it could help establish the Northeast United States as another hub for biodiesel to go to Europe. That, along with increasing number of mandates in that region, would help cement the green fuel in that part of the U.S.

Biodiesel

North Carolina Ethanol Roundtable Workshop a Success

Ethanol RoundtableThe Centralina Clean Fuels Coalition (CCFC), Centralina Economic Development Commission, NC State Energy Office and NC Biotechnology Center sponsored a workshop titled Ethanol Roundtable: Building a Sustainable Ethanol Industry in NC on Thursday, July 31 in Mooresville. Attendance totaled about 65 participants.

According to the CCFC, the Renewable Fuel Standard in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 will require 9.0 billion gallons of renewable fuel across the U.S. starting in 2008, with the amount increasing to 36 billion gallons in 2022. Ultimately 21 billion gallons per year will be cellulosic ethanol. Over the 2005 to 2006 fiscal year, North Carolina saw a drop in public retail consumption from 4.4 million gallons of E100 to 1.9, while public entities increased their use by about 200% during the same time. The Ethanol Roundtable sought to identify what drivers are behind trends like this and so many others that are intricately woven with far reaching geo-political fluctuations.

Speakers included Mooresville Mayor Bill Thunberg and representatives from the following organizations: Clean Vehicle Education Foundation; Novozymes North America Inc.; United Energy; Clean Vehicle Education Foundation; Southern Pump & Tank; Greater Charlotte Office North Carolina Biotechnology Center; and the North Carolina Biofuels Center.

To view speaker presentations, click here.

Photo above is that of Steve Childers, Industrial Division Manager for Southern Pump & Tank Co.

E85, Ethanol, News

New Report Confirms Purdue Ethanol Study

John Davis

A couple of weeks ago, we told you about how Purdue University had come out with a study that showed that increasing costs for oil were responsible for 75 percent in the rise in the price in corn, while demand for ethanol accounted for just one-fourth of corn’s skyrocketing price.

Now, a report coming out of Nebraska also says the real blame for the spike in food prices are higher fuel costs and greater world grain demand:

The report, “The Impact of Ethanol Production on Food, Feed and Fuel,” was produced by Ethanol Across America and co-sponsored by the Nebraska Ethanol Board. The findings confirm a recent study by Purdue University, which found that record high oil prices have caused 75% of the inflation in corn prices.

Ethanol is reducing gas prices. In Nebraska, about 77% of all gasoline sold contains ethanol. E10 is typically 10 cents cheaper than regular and economists have found that ethanol production lowers oil prices by 15% nationwide. Ethanol will save Nebraska motorists more than $70 million at the pump during 2008 according to the Nebraska Ethanol Board.

Ethanol Board Chairman Jim Jenkins said that ethanol generates a resounding economic benefit to Nebraska by lowering gas prices and providing livestock producers with lower-cost feeding alternatives.

“As a cattle producer and restaurant owner, I am directly impacted by skyrocketing energy prices. High energy costs hit everyone hard, but Nebraska ethanol is lowering gas prices. Ethanol also provides relief for the livestock producer with high quality, low cost feed in the form of distillers grains,” Jenkins said. “The Nebraska economy is significantly better off as a result of our $4 billion ethanol industry, which has made our state a net exporter of motor fuels.”

You can read the entire report at the Nebraska Ethanol Board’s web page in the “Resources” section.

Ethanol, News

North America To Be Big at World Wind Energy Trade-Fair

John Davis

Mark your calendar, and check your passport because the town of Husum, Germany is set to host the world’s largest and longest-running wind energy industry trade show, HUSUM WindEnergy.

A press release from HUSUM’s web site says the five-day event, September 9-13, 2008, will have 700 exhibitors from 35 countries, with an expected record for North American participation… 17 from the United States and 13 from Canada.

More than 20,000 visitors from 40 countries will participate in the 2008 trade show in the North Frisian coastal town, located in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein.

The accompanying congress will feature nearly 60 seminars relevant to the international wind energy industry, including sessions regarding recent innovations in the industry, presentations by leaders of countries new to wind energy development, and an international conference on wind energy in North America. The North American conference will include discussions of financing models for U.S. and Canadian wind farms.

“HUSUM WindEnergy is both a showcase and market place in what truly has become a global discussion for clean energy development and transmission,” said Managing Director Hanno Fecke. “We provide the ideal environment for making and expanding international contacts, as well as a forum for enhancing multinational dialog exchange.”

Governors from 22 wind-rich states have been invited to participate in the event.

Wind

Camelina’s Role as Biodiesel Feedstock Expands

John Davis

While camelina has really taken root as a feedstock in the Western United States (see my post from July 22, 2008), it’s starting to make some inroads back east.

This radio story from the USDA says that some farmers in Pennsylvania started growing camelina last fall and are expanding their efforts this year:

Joel Hunter is a Penn State University Cooperative Extension Educator. “This year we tried it in kind of a big way about, somewhere between 300 and 400 acres.”

The story goes on to say that the goal is to sell the camelina oil to the Lake Erie Biofuels plant in Erie, PA.

“Camelina seed has about 40 percent oil. So we’re looking at something like two barrels of oil per acre.”

USDA says that the Penn State Cooperative Extension bought 2,000 pounds of camelina seed for farmers to grow, while really going out on a limb and might not even be able to get grants to cover the school’s costs. But Hunter thinks it is worth it if it gets the camelina effort off the ground in that area.

Biodiesel

Vikings Helping Turn Minnesota Green

John Davis

I’m not talking about those guys with the funny horns on the side of their football helmets. A group of Swedes have traveled to Minnesota to give residents there some ideas about how biomass can heat a home.

This story from Biomass Magazine says a delegation from the city of Växjö, Sweden… dubbed the Greenest City in Europe… is visiting Duluth, Minn., sharing their ideas:

In 1996 Växjö, a city in southern Sweden, set goals to reduce carbon dioxide emissions per capita by 50 percent in 2010 and by 70 percent in 2025. So far, the city has reduced its emissions by 35 percent, mainly due to the expansion of its heating system, which uses wood waste biomass from sawmills for fuel.

“It has been a good thing for the families, the municipality, and the economy to use the heat from this biomass,” said Henrik Nilsson, public relations manager for the city of Växjö. “It is the cheapest way to heat your house and you don’t have to be an eco-friend. If you just want to save money, you will use this way of heating and then, of course, you will be an environmental hero, as well, and that is just a bonus.”

Duluth and Växjö have been sister cities for 20 years, with this annual visit the first to focus on economics and the environment.

biomass

USDA, DOE Hand Out Biomass Grants

John Davis

The U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Energy announced $10 million worth of grants for 10 places of higher education to help accelerate the use of biomass into cellulosic biofuels.

This USDA release has details:

“USDA is committed to fostering a sustainable domestic biofuels industry at home in rural America,” [Agriculture Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics Gale Buchanan] said. “These grants will broaden the sources of energy from many crops as well as improve the efficiency and options among renewable fuels.”

“Cellulosic biofuels offer one of the best near- to mid-term alternatives we have, on the energy production side, to reduce reliance and imported oil and cut greenhouse gas emissions, while continuing to meet the nation’s transportation energy needs,” [Energy Department (DOE) Under Secretary for Science Raymond Orbach] said. “Developing cost-effective means of producing cellulosic biofuels on a national scale poses major scientific challenges-these grants will help in developing the type of transformational breakthroughs needed in basic science to make this happen.”

Here’s a list of those schools picking up the research grants:

* Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research (Ithaca, NY), $882,000
* Colorado State University (Fort Collins, CO), $1,500,000
* University of Georgia (Athens, GA), $1,295,000
* University of Georgia(Athens, GA), $1,200,000
* University of Massachusetts (Amherst, MA), $1,200,000
* Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI), $540,000
* Pennsylvania State University (State College, PA), $587,191
* Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN), $1,200,000
* Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR), $1,200,000
* Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR), $1,200,000

Biodiesel, biomass, Cellulosic, Ethanol, News

Ford Announces Model Year 2009 FFVs

FordFord Motor Company has recently announced that it will add four new flexible fuel vehicle (FFV) models to their line in 2009. These actions will assist in meeting the company’s commitment to doubling FFV production by 2010 and producing 50% of their total production as FFVs by 2012.

“We are excited to see Ford moving forward with their commitment to adding more FFVs to their line-up,” said Executive Director of the NEVC Phil Lampert. “The auto industry is experiencing significant shifts in product demand to high mileage vehicles and alternative fuel vehicles which do not solely operate on petroleum. We believe that the use of E85 and other high level blends of ethanol in these FFVs can have a significant impact to reducing demand for imported petroleum.”

Ford will be offering the following FFVs in 2009:

Ford:
5.4L F-150
4.6L Crown Victoria (for fleets only)
4.6L and 5.4L Econoline Van
5.4L Expedition

Mercury:
4.6L Grand marquis

Lincoln:
5.4L Lincoln Navigator

For a listing of all flexible fuel vehicle models by year and manufacturer, to go www.E85Fuel.com.

E85, Ethanol, Flex Fuel Vehicles, News

NEVC Applauds Bipartisan Efforts to Advance Alternative Fuel Infrastructure

NEVCThe National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition (NEVC) recently reported their endorsement of the legislative proposal introduced by Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD) and John Shimkus (R-IL) which would increase the federal income tax credit that assists to offset the cost of alternative fuel infrastructure. The legislation introduced on July 31, 2008, which may be found by clicking here, would increase the existing federal income tax credit from $30,000 or 30% of the total cost of improvements to $100,000 or 50% of the total cost of needed alternative fuel equipment and dispensing improvements.

“Congresswoman Herseth Sandlin and Congressman Shimkus have consistently demonstrated their leadership in advancing the use of both ethanol and biodiesel. The NEVC would like to express our sincere appreciation for this recent action,” stated Executive Director of the NEVC Phil Lampert. “Our automaker members have pledged to produce 50 percent of their total vehicle production as flexible fuel by 2012 if the infrastructure is available to support such vehicles. Even though we now have 1,650 E85 fueling locations, this still represents less than 1% of the total gasoline fueling stations. We are convinced that if this proposal were adopted, the nation would have no less than 10,000 E85 fueling sites in a short period of time.”

The E85 and Biodiesel Access Act (H.R. 6734) is supported by the NEVC, the American Coalition for Ethanol, the Renewable Fuels Association, the National Association of Convenience Stores and the National Biodiesel Board.

A copy of the Press Statement issued by Congresswoman Herseth Sandlin may be found at http://hersethsandlin.house.gov/press/2008/press_080108_renewables.htm. A Press Statement issued by Congressman Shimkus may be found by clicking here.

Biodiesel, E85, Ethanol, Facilities, Government, News